Zimbabwe Intensifies Anti-Smuggling Efforts Ahead of Festive Season
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Harare, Dec 18 (NationPress) Zimbabwe is enhancing its efforts against the smuggling of goods across its borders as the festive season approaches, stated Tafadzwa Muguti, the Permanent Secretary for Presidential Affairs in the Office of the President and Cabinet.
During an anti-smuggling coordination meeting held in Harare, Muguti revealed that Zimbabwe is losing as much as 1 billion US dollars in revenue due to smuggling activities at its borders.
The smuggling of goods tends to surge during the Christmas and New Year holidays, particularly as Zimbabwean expatriates return home, bringing goods primarily from South Africa and other neighboring nations.
Products commonly smuggled into the market encompass a diverse assortment of food items, clothing, drugs, beverages, fertilizers, cement, vehicles, electrical appliances, and solar panels, among others, as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
To combat these illegal activities, authorities initiated an anti-smuggling campaign in November. Task force teams comprised of tax authorities, police, immigration officials, local government representatives, consumer protection agencies, and monetary authorities have been established to address the issue.
Muguti emphasized that smuggling disrupts the collection of customs and excise duties, deters investment, and adversely impacts employment levels and job creation as smuggled products inundate the market.
"It has led to unfair competition, stunting the growth of local industries, as illicit traders gain an unfair advantage through tax evasion over legitimate businesses, which also adversely affects job opportunities and employment levels," he noted.
Smuggling not only undermines the economy but also poses risks to security and public health, as smuggled food items, medications, and alcoholic beverages bypass health and safety regulations, Muguti added, noting that it has also contributed to the rise of organized crime, including armed robberies associated with the smuggling of firearms.
As part of the anti-smuggling strategies, confiscated second-hand clothes will be destroyed at nearby police stations, while all smuggled food items will be donated to charity. Drugs will be incinerated at district and provincial hospital incinerators under the Ministry of Health and Child Care, according to Muguti.
